Nation should work as a whole to realise Vision 2035on: January 31, 2017

| Danial Norjidi |

PARTNERSHIP between the public sector and private sector is crucial towards successfully managing challenges brought about by recent geo-political and economic trends, and requires working effectively together as a ‘whole of nation’ to ensure Brunei Vision 2035 is realised.

These points were highlighted by His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, Chairman and Sponsor of the PENGGERAK Steering Committee while delivering a sabda at the opening session of the Second Brunei Top 100 Leaders (B100) Programme yesterday.

“I would like to begin by congratulating all participants for being selected for the Second Brunei Top 100 Leaders Programme,” said His Royal Highness. “This programme has been developed with future leaders in mind, be they in the public…

MANY historians in the Muslim world believe that the foundations of the world’s civilisation stemmed from their Islamic roots, and the stories of courageous leaders still motivate current generations to continue their forefathers’ legacy.

Among the illustrious Muslim leaders was Sultan Nur al-Din Al-Zanki of Syria, who conquered the principality of Antioch (today is part of Turkey and Syria), which was populated by Armenians and Greek Orthodox Christians under the rule of Joscelin II of Edessa (present day Turkey).

Nur Al-Din was also a political figure, who formed an alliance with Iraq to strengthen and fortify his nation. (Islam is still the primary religion of Syria with Muslims making up 90 per cent of the population)

Similarly, Sultan Salahuddin Al-Ayubi of Egypt and his success in defeating the Christian cru…

Chinese Year of the Rooster kicked off with fervour and gaietyon: January 29, 2017

| Achong Tanjong |

THE Chinese community in the country yesterday welcomed the Lunar Year of the Rooster with pomp and gaiety.

As beating of drums and clash of cymbals resonated throughout the Capital, hundreds of members of the Chinese community converged at the Teng Yun Temple to mark the beginning of the Chinese New Year.

The biggest event of the Chinese calendar, it is customary for Chinese communities all over the world to start off their Lunar New Year’s first day with offerings and prayers at a temple, and the community in Brunei Darussalam is no exception.

Adding glitter to the celebrations was the lion dance. Amid cheers in a vibrant atmosphere, the Lion Dance Troupe from Chung Hwa Middle School entered the temple’s courtyard to kick off the celebrations, performing to a crowd who had gathered as early as 7am to witness the colourful and lively performance.

Bruneians 3rd largest social media users in the worldon: January 28, 2017

| Azlan Othman |

BRUNEI Darussalam has the third highest social media penetration in the world with 370,000 users, or 86 per cent of the total population, according to the new Digital in 2017 Global Overview report from We Are Social and Hootsuite released this week.

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) topped the chart with 99 per cent social media use, said the report which also highlighted that more than half of the world’s population now use the Internet.

The latest data shows that eight countries around the world now have social media penetration levels in excess of 80 per cent, although it is possible that the penetration figures for both Qatar and the UAE are skewed by short-term fluctuations in migrant populations (for example, expatriates working in Qatar to help prepare the country for the FIFA World Cup in 2020).

Brunei Darussalam also fared very high in terms of penetration of mobile social medi…

A combination of tighter fiscal planning, a gradual increase in hydrocarbons prices and an improved performance by some non-oil sectors saw Brunei Darussalam shake off two years of contraction and lay the foundations for stronger growth in 2017.

Budgeting for the new year

The budget for FY 2016/17, which came into force on April 1, laid out total spending of BN$5.6bn ($3.9bn), $100m less than the previous financial year.

The plan targeted spending on areas seen as facilitators of economic growth and development. Infrastructure investments accounted for 9% of all spending at BN$523.56m ($368.9m), while education received the second-highest sectoral allocation, at BN$726.65m ($511.9m). The only sector to receive an enhanced budget was defense, with BN$564m ($397.3m), a rise of 4.7% over 2015/16.

BRUNEI Darussalam’s passport is continuing its powerful journey allowing its holders to move across borders without having to undergo the ordeal of a cumbersome visa application process.

Brunei holds the world’s 20th most powerful passport with a visa-free score of 134, according to the latest passport index devised by global financial advisory firm Arton Capital, which was revealed this week.

A passport from a country in good global standing is a powerful thing, allowing citizens to travel across borders without having to face a nightmarish bureaucracy and red tape.

Brunei passport is the third most powerful in Asean after Singapore and Malaysia.

The index saw Germany take first place with a visa-free score of 157.

The index, which was updated last week, saw Singapore and Sweden taking the second spot with a visa-free score of 156. Malaysian passport came in 5th place globally.

Sultan calls for further boost in training standards at RBAF OCSon: January 20, 2017

| Hakim Hayat |

HIS Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, yesterday praised the outstanding careers of several female Military Officers, while at the same time calling on the Officer Cadet School (OCS) at the Defence Academy Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) to continue producing high-calibre officers.

Delivering a titah on the occasion of the OCS Sovereign’s Parade Ceremony yesterday, His Majesty, who is also the Minister of Defence and Supreme Commander of the RBAF, noted that several female graduates of the OCS have produced outstanding efforts by venturing into male-dominated military career paths. “For instance, we now have a female military pilot and more recently, a female captain for our KDB (Royal Brunei Ship),” said the monarch.

BRUNEI Darussalam is poised for further bolstering defence exchanges with the People’s Republic of China.

“The defence relations between Brunei and the People’s Republic of China are currently on a good state and the Sultanate is looking forward to increase defence interactions of mutual benefit which can further boost security cooperation between the two countries,” First Admiral (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Abdul Aziz bin Haji Mohd Tamit, Deputy Minister of Defence, said on Thursday.

He was speaking during a courtesy call with Lieutenant General Bai Wenqi, Deputy Political Commissar of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Northern Theater and Commander and Political Commissar of the Air Force, who is currently on a visit to the Sultanate, leading a goodwill visit of a Chinese PLA delegation.

Cooperation in the field of defence is seen as one of the important pillars of bilateral relations between Brunei D…

BY COMMAND of His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, following the dissolution of the Legislative Council (LegCo), it was announced yesterday that His Majesty has consented to the appointment of the new members of LegCo.

THE Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism (MPRT) has intensified efforts to create new employment opportunities and boost the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country as part of its ambitious 2016-2020 Strategic Plan.

The ambitious five-year plan for all departments under the ministry was officially launched yesterday by Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong, the Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism.

The Strategic Plan is aimed at creating more jobs for the local people, in addition to boosting the productivity and export values of the agricultural, forestry and fishing industries through the use of high-tech methods, while also developing the tourism industry. To achieve those goals, including a significant growth in Brunei’s GDP by 2020, the ministry will work on increasing product yields from local agricultural and agrifood sector as well as aquaculture and seafood industries.

THE struggle for the restoration of Brunei Darussalam’s sovereignty and MIB values was taken up by KMB and BARIP after World War II. Bruneian nationalists explored various means of direct confrontation with the British Empire, but Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam decided to take a diplomatic approach and negotiate with the British government for the restoration of Bruneian sovereignty.

Al-Marhum was aware of the desire to achieve independence through forceful methods. At the same time, he was contemplating several alternatives, as Bruneian youths lacked the necessary experience and skills in modern administration, politics, economics, diplomacy, education and religious matters.

Al-Marhum realised that reforms were needed, and that it was up to him as a lead…

HIS Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam urged the nation to be wary of threats against peace and harmony as well as threats coming from the cyberworld.

In a titah delivered on the eve of New Year 2017, His Majesty said, “We are leaving 2016 with a thousand memories of enjoying peace and harmony in this fortunate nation… We are thankful and pray to Allah the Almighty for such a blessing to be enjoyed in 2017. Peace is paramount without which no development is possible. We should also uphold strong religious values, abide by the law, live in harmony and stay united.

“But we should bear in mind that elements that are against peace and harmony will always try to create chaos. Hence, we should be cautious with these elements and it is a big responsibility for all part…